The Woman King actress and multi award winning Hollywood icon Viola Davis had social media in disbelief after posting what she called “breaking news” that Kenyan environmentalist Prof. Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
The only problem is that Maathai received the prestigious award back in 2004, more than two decades ago.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Davis shared an old photo of Maathai with the caption, “BREAKING NEWS: Wangari Maathai: Kenya’s first female professor and first African woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.” Fans initially flooded the comments with admiration before realizing the post was about 25 years too late.
Kenyans were quick to fill the comments with witty reminders, suggesting the “time zone difference” might have stretched a little too far this time.
“She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 and passed away about 14 years ago, but nevertheless, it was a great accomplishment”
“You are however recognizing her posthumously!!
We’ll take it tho! Won in 2004, and she passed in 2011
She’s a real hero!” Another captioned.
Despite the blunder, many praised Davis for honoring Maathai’s enduring legacy, proof that true icons never fade from memory.
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for fighting dictatorship in the country and dedicated the award in part to U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly insisted he deserved it.
Machado, a 58-year-old industrial engineer who lives in hiding, was blocked in 2024 by Venezuela’s courts from running for president and thus challenging President Nicolas Maduro, who has been in power since 2013.
Machado is the first Venezuelan to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the sixth from Latin America. Her three adult children are living abroad for safety reasons.
The United Nations human rights office welcomed the award to Machado as a recognition of “the clear aspirations of the people of Venezuela for free and fair elections”.
The head of the award committee, Joergen Watne Frydnes, said he hoped it would spur the Venezuelan opposition’s work.
“We hope that the entire opposition will have renewed energy to continue the work for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy,” Frydnes told Reuters after the announcement.
